Guidelines for Student Professional Development Fund

How to Access Funds– The law school has established the Student Professional Development Fund (SPDF) to encourage law students to take ownership of their job search with funding to assist with career-related expenses. Students may spend a maximum of $250 for reimbursement during the course of law school subject to the following restrictions:

To qualify for access to funds, first-year students must:

Attend the required 1L programs offered by the Career Strategies Office; and

Meet with a career counselor to review one’s resume and discuss one’s career path.

Second- and third-year students can access the SPDF after having met a single requirement: one meeting with a CSO career counselor lasting approximately 20 minutes. The purpose of the meeting is for the student to check in, discuss his or her job search strategy, and discuss how to spend funds appropriately in order to secure meaningful employment.

When a student has completed all of the requirements, the CSO will notify the Office of Finance and Budget (OFB) that the student is eligible to access the SPDF. The OFB is located on the 4th floor in the Administrative office.

Membership in bar associations (specialty, affinity bar associations) as well as sections of bar associations where free membership is already gifted. Note: All the Kline School of Law students receive free membership in the Pennsylvania Bar Association, Philadelphia Bar, and the American Bar Association Law Student Division

Inns of Court membership fees

Books, newspapers, and periodicals directly related to professional development and networking (not textbooks). For example, books about networking skills, business etiquette, leadership, or job search strategies are subject to reimbursement. If you are seeking work in another city and it would be helpful to access the city’s newspaper, consider a subscription with the understanding that the law library may already have access to this information as part of the library’s extensive subscription services.

Purchasing a professional photograph for use on LinkedIn and in professional announcements. For example, the cost to download a graduation photo for use on social media and professional announcements is acceptable for reimbursement

Not approved for reimbursement:

Interview attire; salon or barber visits

Food and alcohol

Bar review courses or study materials

Deadline to Spend Funds– A student has three years and five months in which to spend his or her SPDF. Expenses must be incurred on or before October 31 following one’s graduation from Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law (i.e., up to five months following graduation). All reimbursement requests must be submitted before December 31 of your graduating year. This means that a graduate of the Class of 2015 has until October 31, 2015 to spend his or her SPDF funds and that a request for reimbursement must be filed no later than December 31, 2015.

Reimbursement Procedures– Submit your requests by presenting your receipts to Zhiying Feng, Finance Director, on the 4th Floor in the OFB. You may apply to the fund for multiple events/activities, but each reimbursement request must be a minimum of $50 or greater. Please save your receipts until you reach this minimum threshold before submitting your reimbursement request. Your request will be processed within ten (10) business days and a check will be mailed to your school address.

Receipt Instructions– Original itemized receipts, documenting items purchased and proof of payment are required. For example, the receipts need to indicate the amount paid with zero balance and the last 4-digits of your credit card. If one of these elements is missing, please provide your credit card transaction/statement as an additional support document. The original hotel folio showing payment is required for reimbursement. For payment made by a personal check, a copy of the front and back of the processed check is required.

Travel Policy– It is expected that such expenses should be reasonable and moderate as the University is a non-profit educational institution, or 501(c)(3) organization as defined by the IRS. Students seeking reimbursement for travel expenses are expected to book the lowest logical coach class for air/rail ticket. The University will reimburse a single room rate at no more than the mid-range rate for hotels. For complete travel policies, please visit http://www.drexel.edu/depts/compt/ap/index.html.

Car Rentals– Only mid-size or compact vehicles will be reimbursed. The University does not carry any automobile insurance for students. If a student chooses a rental car for travel, full automobile insurance coverage of liability, collision and comprehensive insurance need to be purchased for your own protection.

Personal Automobiles– Tolls, parking and mileage (between the University address and the travel destination) can be reimbursed. You can click here for the current mileage reimbursement rates. Personal automobile insurance used for business travel must be at least $100,000/$300,000 for liability coverage. The University will not reimburse individuals for the cost of such insurance or for the cost of other expenses including but not limited to driving or parking violations, fines, gasoline, automobile repairs, vehicle damage or insurance deductibles as a result of an accident, break down, tow or resultant meals and lodging.

Questions?– For questions or checking on reimbursement status, please contact: